Weekend Recap (Guest Blogger: Robbie)

WOW! What an incredible weekend at NLC! If you missed it, you SERIOUSLY missed it! It all started on Friday, when we kicked off our annual NLC Student All-Nighter. We had nearly 150 people pack out the student center, and Pastor Jared brought the house down! Seriously, it was one of the best messages on the Gospel I've heard in a long time. We even saw several students give their lives to Christ! Great start to the weekend.

Then, on Saturday, we had several people out giving themselves away through the Car Repair Ministry. These guys flippin rock! They give of themselves, and for many of them, give up their only day off, to come and work on the cars of those who can't afford repairs! Talk about a church who loves Jesus more than themselves...way to go guys!

And finally on Sunday, we had more people on campus than we have ever had on any regular Sunday in our 4 year history! Way to invest and invite! Plus, the band ABSOLUTELY brought the house down with for week 2 of House of Blues. Interested in what it was like from the front row? Click here.

Then, I spent some time talking about on of the most frustrating pursuits of a Christ-follower...practicing PATIENCE. We talked about how when we are stuck playing the waiting game, we sometimes assume that God has forgotten, or overlooked us somehow. And if we begin to operate out of that assumption, we can really mess things up in our lives. Don't believe me? Just read the story of Abram and Sarai in Genesis 15 & 16. See, we have to remember that most of the time, there is more going on behind the scenes that we may not always know about. God is doing something big in us...we just don't always see it. The reality is, when we trust the promises of God, rather than act out of our own impulses, we truly begin to practice real, authentic patience. The kind of patience that is evident to others. The kind of patience, which helps us through the wait. The great part is, I feel like hundreds of people who've been playing the waiting game, were encouraged during our service yesterday, and it was exciting to play a part in it.

Finally the cherry on the proverbial Sunday was BAPTISM after the second service yesterday. We had nearly 40 people baptized!!! That's nearly 40 people who were publicly declaring the inner transformation inside their hearts. Nearly 40 people who had made the decision to follow Christ in their lives. Nearly 40 people who showed what Next Level Church is really all about.

Thank you God, for allowing me to be a part of a church who can experience weekends like that!